His Heart's Desire

11

Alice

"Woah okay, Lady Brett Ashley. I understand your opinion and all but the cape stays on." Gen mocks the annoying book character name then adjusts the ridiculously huge cape on her back.

"I want a cape," I mumble.

Gen wouldn't even let Tracy or I near her exact replica of the 1815 Ada Lovelace costume. That's how special it was to her.

"Ada Lovelace doesn't even wear a cape," Tracy says throwing her hands in the air causing her hair to bounce.

"Hey, she does! Tracy just let me wear my godforsaken cape!" Gen growls scarily and Tracy's eyes widen. Tracy doesn't say much after that.

"Halloween isn't just about dressing up to show your asscheeks." Gen mumbles then fakes a loud cough. "Ahem, Tracy."

"Oh, whatever. At least I look hot and not like I just rolled out of the constitution signing." Tracy yells over her shoulder. Tracy was wearing a skimpy red silk dress with devil horns on her head and the brightest red lipstick I've ever seen.

"Your wrong! Constitution signing was September 17, 1787! Ada Lovelace is from 1815! Check your facts! Check your facts, Tracy! Check your-"

"Enough! Can you guys try and get along tonight please!" I say exasperated. "I'm already nervous as it is..." I haven't been to a party since... well I've never been to a party.

"Ah shoot sorry Ally," Tracy says and Gen nods sadly in agreement.

I fake smile even though I know I was about to just outright lie to them. I didn't tell them I've never been to one of these before.

"Don't worry about it. Tonight will be fun okay! My hopes are high!" I say with a smile.

~~

It's not fun.

And now my hopes are low.

I was dressed as a plain black cat just so I could blend in. I didn't want to wear anything over the top like Gen or under the top like Tracy. So I stuck with black leggings and a tight black long sleeve blouse. Did easy cat makeup and made ears out of paper. I never got to celebrate anything growing up because of my father. But now that I'm gone. I can do things I've never got to do before!

Tracy went to her equally minimally dressed friends to stick her head in a bucket of water and pull an apple out. And Gen looked to be really hitting it off with a banana over in the corner of the backyard.

I stood at the table with all these colorful drinks on them. I need something. Everyone else has a cup in their hands.

I look into a pumpkin bowl that's full of an orange drink. Looks like Fanta, that won't do much, will it? It's just soda.

I scoop some into a red solo cup and turn around to face the crowd of dancers. I take a sip and I immediately spit it back into my cup. It was bitter and salty. What the hell is this orange concoction? I set the cup behind me on the black table and fold my arms over my chest when I feel the cold breeze of October.

I see a clown grinding on a caveman by the pool. Tracy holding onto some girl with a really tight neon purple dress and laughing. Gen being spun around by the banana she was talking to earlier. I can tell I stick out like a sore thumb here. Especially cause I'm no fun.

My head snaps to the side when I hear a sigh the same as mine. At the other end of the table, I see a guy in a pilgrim costume whose looking out into the vast crowd of dancing role players sadly.

My eyes scan up to his face and I realize it's Nelson. I look where he's looking at and see he's staring directly at Gen with longing on his face.

Nelson likes her, doesn't he? I haven't spoken to him much over the course of these past few weeks but he's only been nice to me so far. I swallow down anxiety and slowly walk up to him.

"Hey, Nelson." I smile awkwardly.

He glances at me than the crowd before snapping his head to look at me with wide eyes.

I hear him mumble and I could've sworn he said Nicks name.

"What?" I ask and he goes red in the face.

"Nothing!" He stammers and I smile and look down. One thing we have in common is our awkwardness.

"I like your pilgrim costume." I compliment and he breaks out into a fit of laughter causing me to frown.

"This isn't a pilgrim." He points to his attire. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. Luckily he sees this and elaborates.

"I'm William King-Noel, 1st Earl of Lovelace." He smiles and reaches out his hand.

I shake the offered hand. "Hey, Gen is Ada Lovelace. Are you dressed as her brother or something? That's such a coincidence!" I say.

I watch him smirk. But the smirk then turns to a sad frown. "I know. I knew she was going to be Ada because she has been talking about her legacies for two months now. So I took a random shot and dressed up as her husband. I was kinda hoping to impress her..." he says the last sentence softly and looks away from me awkwardly.

I smile at him giving his shoulder a pat. "Hey don't get all down now. The nights still young. And I'm telling you if you go up to her as soon as she's alone and ask for a dance. She won't say no." I encourage softly so no one hears his private matters.

He doesn't move. "What if she doesn't... I'd look like a fool again."

"Again?" I ask.

He looks at me. "I asked her to prom last year. Homecoming the year before that and homecoming before the last one I asked her to. As well as the 8th-grade dance 5 years ago. All those times she said no." He murmurs and I feel bad for him.

He keeps getting shut down yet, he stills tries.

I look at the crowd and luckily Gen is still there.

"Come on," I say to him.

"What are you doing?" He asks as I pull him into the crowd.

"Pretend you're enjoying this!" I tell him over the music and start to dance my way to Gen.

When we are close enough I turn to Nelson.

"Sorry." I apologize.

"Why are you s-" he says just before I shove him into Gen.

I quickly tap the banana's shoulder and he turns around to look at me. Can't be too hard to distract this guy for Nelson-

"Marc?" I wheeze out when he faces me.

"Came to dance with your one and only sugar?" He slurs and pulls me against his banana. Oh, I'm going to throw up.

He licks the metal of his braces and grabs my waist as he starts to sway me.

I ignore his sweaty hands and peek over his shoulder to see Nelson and Gen awkwardly dancing with goofy smiles.

"Mission complete," I whisper like they do in the movies.

"What was that kitty cat?" Marc yells and I flinch.

"I said let's get a drink!" I yell over the music and see Marc's eyes light up.

He grabs my hand and pulls me to the table.

Once we get to the table he doesn't stop pulling me and my arm goes slack in his grip confused.

"Why aren't we at the table?" I yell but he doesn't get the memo.

He keeps pulling me inside and I'm wondering if there were different- possibly better-tasting drinks inside.

He keeps dragging me down a hall and eventually pushes me into a dark room.

Marc pins me so suddenly to the door my head hits it's the back of it. I feel wet kisses slobber on my neck and I squirm uncomfortably.

Oh no.